martyrdom
gb/mˈɑɹtɚdəm/ us/mˈɑɹtɚdəm/
C1
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
C1
event
1
death for one’s beliefs
The killing or violent death of a person because of their strong religious or political beliefs, often seen as brave or holy.
Usage pattern:
to face [martyrdom] for [beliefs/cause]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse “martyrdom” with “murder.” “Martyrdom” is the death of someone specifically because of their beliefs and is often seen as noble, while “murder” is any unlawful killing. Learners may also use “martyr” when they need the abstract noun “martyrdom,” for example saying *the martyr of Joan of Arc* instead of *the martyrdom of Joan of Arc*.
Synonyms
martyr’s death (More explicit and slightly more concrete; focuses directly on the person’s death rather than the broader idea or story of it.)
|
sacrifice (Broader and more general; can mean giving up anything important, not specifically dying for beliefs.)
Antonyms
survival (Opposite outcome; the person lives instead of being killed for their beliefs.)
Collocations
religious martyrdom
|political martyrdom
|face martyrdom
|die in martyrdom
|story of his martyrdom
|cult of martyrdom
Themes
religion
|politics
|conflict
|history
Examples
- The film tells the story of her martyrdom during the civil war.
- For centuries, his martyrdom has been commemorated in religious ceremonies.
- They risked martyrdom by openly opposing the dictatorship.
- The novel opens with the brutal martyrdom of a young priest.
- Many songs celebrate the martyrdom of those who died for freedom.
Learner examples
- The church remembers the martyrdom of its first leaders.
- He faced martyrdom because he refused to change his beliefs.
- Stories of martyrdom are important in many religions.
- Her brave martyrdom inspired other people to fight for justice.
- They teach children about the martyrdom of national heroes.
Noun
C1
state
2
great suffering for a cause
A life or time of very hard suffering that someone accepts because of their strong beliefs or sense of duty.
Usage pattern:
to live in [martyrdom] for [someone/something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think martyrdom always means death. In modern usage, it can also describe long, hard suffering for a belief or duty, even if the person does not die.
Synonyms
suffering (More general and common; does not necessarily imply doing it for a cause or ideal.)
|
torment (Stronger emotional tone; suggests intense pain or distress, not always chosen or linked to beliefs.)
Antonyms
comfort (Opposite condition; ease and lack of hardship instead of continued suffering.)
Collocations
a life of quiet martyrdom
|years of martyrdom
|daily martyrdom
|martyrdom and sacrifice
|emotional martyrdom
|endless martyrdom
Themes
emotions
|personal_life
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She described caring for her sick parents as a kind of quiet martyrdom.
- His years in exile were a slow martyrdom for the cause of democracy.
- The book explores the emotional martyrdom of activists who give up normal family life.
- Parenting a severely disabled child can become a daily martyrdom if support is lacking.
- He turned his chronic illness into a story of personal martyrdom for his art.
Learner examples
- He lived in martyrdom for many years because of his beliefs.
- Her life of martyrdom was full of work and pain.
- The writer talks about the quiet martyrdom of single mothers.
- For some people, looking after a sick parent feels like martyrdom.
- His long martyrdom finally ended when the war was over.
Noun
informal
C2
state
3
self-imposed, showy suffering
When someone acts as if they suffer a lot and always sacrifices themself, often to get attention or make others feel guilty.
Usage pattern:
to sink into [martyrdom] over [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this sense is always serious and religious. In everyday speech it is often critical or ironic, describing someone who chooses to suffer or complain to gain sympathy or control.
Synonyms
self-pity (Focuses more on feeling sorry for oneself; does not always include the idea of trying to look noble or morally superior.)
|
victim mentality (Psychological term; stresses the habit of seeing oneself as a victim, not always with dramatic or showy behavior.)
Antonyms
self-respect (In this context, implies a healthy sense of worth instead of showy, self-sacrificing behavior for attention.)
Collocations
emotional martyrdom
|needless martyrdom
|this constant martyrdom
|end the martyrdom
|martyrdom routine
|play at martyrdom
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|psychology
Examples
- I wish she would drop the martyrdom and just ask for help.
- His endless martyrdom about how much he does for the family is exhausting.
- The article criticizes the culture of online martyrdom around unpaid overtime.
- He wraps every small problem in a story of noble martyrdom.
- Their relationship is stuck in a cycle of guilt and emotional martyrdom.
Learner examples
- Stop this martyrdom and tell us what you really want.
- His friends are tired of his martyrdom about working late.
- She uses her martyrdom to make other people feel bad.
- Their talk turned into a kind of shared martyrdom about how hard life is.
- He enjoys a little martyrdom and likes to say he does everything alone.
Grammar
Dictionary form
martyrdom
IPA
GB/mˈɑɹtɚdəm/
US/mˈɑɹtɚdəm/
Syllables & stress
mar - tyr - dom (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (mar)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: martyrdom
- Plural: martyrdom
Word family
Core family
martyr
noun B2
Expressions
embrace martyrdom
1/ɪmbɹˈeɪs mˈɑɹtɚdəm/
fixed phrase
willingly accept martyrdom
To willingly accept that you may die or suffer very much for your beliefs or cause, and to see this as right or meaningful.
Examples
- He chose to embrace martyrdom rather than betray his friends.
- The character ultimately embraces martyrdom, seeing his death as the only way to change society.
- Some followers were ready to embrace martyrdom if the protests turned violent.
martyrdom complex
1/mˈɑɹtɚdəm kˈɑmplɛks/
idiom
informal
habit of playing the martyr
A way of thinking where a person often acts like a suffering hero or victim, usually to get attention, praise, or control over others.
Examples
- Her martyrdom complex makes it impossible to have an honest conversation about sharing chores.
- The therapist suggested that his martyrdom complex was hurting his relationships.
- Online commentators accused the politician of having a martyrdom complex after his dramatic resignation speech.
seek martyrdom
1/sˈik mˈɑɹtɚdəm/
fixed phrase
try to become a martyr
To act in a way that looks like you want to be killed, punished, or badly hurt for your beliefs so that people will see you as a hero or martyr.
Examples
- The judge warned that the defendants seemed to be seeking martyrdom rather than a fair trial.
- Some extremists actively seek martyrdom, believing it will bring honor or reward.
- Critics said he was seeking martyrdom by refusing any form of compromise.